Growing vegetables in a shady garden.

The soil was badly depleted by a 30 foot cedar hedge that surrounded the property for decades. It was removed in 2010.

After the hedge removal the garden was dug up to make way for a new basement under the old house (completed 2012).

The Lombardi Poplar tree was planted in the early 1980s. It's roots now absorb water across the property so all plantings are competing for water with the poplar tree. It also drops bushels of leaves every year. This year we plan to collect the leaves and use them to mulch and build the soil for next year.

At present there are three neighbours who are gardening on the property: Moira has been planting the boulevard and traffic circule as part of the Green Streets program with the City of Vancouver. Julia is a local ceramicist and fabric artist. She planted a patch of flowers for dye collection. Honami is a soil specialist and vegetable gardener. She is planting varieties of vegetables and investigating methods for building back soil health.

I am a novice gardener. This year I am cultivating worms, learning to water regularly, and learning to harvest the vegetables as they become ready. I am trying my own vegetable experiments, including germinating seeds, using alfalfa pellets for mulch and nutrition, and watering with worm water from the worm farm while the worms turn kitchen compost into worm castings.

These are the stories of growing vegetables in a shady garden.